Frederick w



(No Model.)

I. W. HEDGE-LAND.

PNEUMATIO COUPLER.

.No. 590,545. Patented Sept. 21,1897.

J/v KEN 70 R.

EDER/CK W/flsncnmo Ff? arm, 4

me Jrra RIVEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK IV. IIEDGELAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE IV. W.KIMBALL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PNEUMATIC COUPLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,545, datedSeptember21, 1897.

Application filed May 10,1897. Serial No. 635,851. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. HEDGE- LAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in PneumaticCouplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the class of pneumaticcouplers for the pneumatic actions of organs of which the coupler shownin the patent to me, No. 566,314, dated August'25, 1896, is a type. Inmy patented coupler the motor-channels B and 1-1 to be coupled areprovided with a communicating port and with a valve controlling suchport, and the channel H exhausts into thechannel B, the key of which isplayed. I have found in the use of my said patented construction thatthe valve controlling the connectingport is not always as quick in itsaction as could be desired, and especially so where a series of thecouplers are employed in the same organ. While this sluggishness iswholly immaterial where only a few of the couplers are to be used in theseries, it prevents the use of such numbers of the couplers as aresometimes needed in large organs. I account for the sluggishness by thefact that the air in channels H exhausts into channels B opposite themembrane-motors in the latter, and while it is passing said motorsmaintains some pressure thereon, and thereby delays the deflation of themotors, and by reason thereof also-delays the movements of the valves;also, by the fact that while the valves which control the openingsbetween the two channels are shifting to their seats at the opening thecompressed air in the channels H from below the valves flows over andaround the valves and into the channels B, thereby increasing the supplyof air in the latter and also creating a slight degree of back pressureon the valves, so that they move more slowly in closing than they wouldwere it not for such back pressure. I obviate these obj ections in mypresent invention, in which the channels have no connecting opening, sothat the air does not pass from one to the other, and consequently themembrane motors which shift the valves are not slowed, as'in the otherconstruction. The coupled channels, corresponding to channels II of thepatent, exhaust at the same ports as before, but those ports open to theouter air instead of into the other channels, so that any air which maypass over and around the valves while closing and which may come fromthat portion of the channelsretainin g the compressed air is so quicklydissipated in the outer air as to obviate the back pressure upon thevalves above referred to.

The nature of my improvement is fully illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which I Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of anorgan-action embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a like view showing amodification.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, Arepresents one of the keys of thegreat-organ series, B the air-channel corresponding to said key andleading to the motor (not shown) controlling the speaking-pipe of saidkey, and C and D the valves controlling said channel'and connected bytheir stem E to the key. The valve C is an exhaust-valve and is normallyclosed, while the valve D is normally open and is located in the chamberF, whereby compressed air is supplied to the channel B, and when closedit shuts off the air froni said chamber.

G is one of the keys of the swell-organ series; 11, its correspondingaction-channel, leading to the motor controlling the pipe of key G;J andK, the controlling-valves corresponding to the valves C and D of theother channel, and M is the compressed-air chamber corresponding to thechamber F of channel B. p

Inone side of the channel II is a port II, opening directly to the outerair and controlled by valve 0, mounted upon the stem 0'', supported inand operated'in one direction by the membranes P and P, located thefirst in the side wall of the channel B and the other outside of bothchannels and operated by air from the trunk T. The membrane P isnormally inflated by said trunk, and consequently tends to keep thevalve 0 against the port 11, as shown in the drawings. In the channel H,I also provide an oftset in which a valve-seat is formed'at Q, and

a valve Q, also mounted on the stem 0, is adapted when forced againstsaid seat to shut off that part of the channel It above said valve Qfrom the chamber M. The normal position of valve Q is that shown, andbeing mounted upon the same stem with valve O it necessarily closeswhenever the valve 0 opens.

The operation of the invention shown at Fig. 1 is as follows: The playerwhen he desires to couple the great and swell organs, so that he cansound both by playing the keys of one, pulls the stop controlling thetrunk T, thereby relieving the air pressure in the trunk and upon theinside of membrane 1 and leaving the valves 0 and Q at liberty to shiftwhenever the keys of the great organ are struck. If he now strikes keyA, he relieves the pressure in the channel 13, so that membrane 1 isdeprived of internal pressure, and consequently the air-pressure inchannel II, acting upon valve 0, instantly shifts valves 0 and Q,opening the former and closing the latter and relieving the pressure inthe channel II above valve Q. That portion of channel II. between thevalve Q and the chamber M is, however, unaffected, because valve Q byclosing upon its seat Q prevents any change of conditions there. Therelease of the pressure in the channel II by the opening of valve 0causes its motor to act in unison with the motor of channel I3, andconsequently the pipes controlled by both motors speak together. IVhenthe player releases the key A, the pressure is at once restored in thechannel I and the membrane P is inflated and forces the valves 0 and Qback to their normal positions shown in the drawings and both pipescease speaking. No change in the posit-ion of these valves can oc cur,of course, so long as the membrane P is inflated, and hence the channelscan then be used separately.

In the modified construction shown at Fig. 2 the principal changeconsists in the substitution of a single valve for the two valves ofFig. 1 and the provision of meters at both ends of the valve-stem, so itmay be shifted in both directions by the motors instead of shifting itin one direction only by motorpowcr, as in the other construction. Thesingle valve is shown at R, and it seats at both sides of the channelll, closing the port II in one position and shutting off the air fromthe source of supply of channel Ill in the other position. Themembrane-motor I, which corresponds to the motor P of Fig. 1, is locatedin the wall of channel 13 adjacent to the valved opening in the channelII, and the air is admitted to it from channel 13 by the passage I andoperates it in the direction necessary to close the valve It againstport II. A passage P" leads from the outer air to the other side of thismembrane. The membrane corresponds to the membrane P of Fig. 1, exceptthat the pressure of the wind-box T is exerted upon its outerside andthat an opening P, leading from the channel. II, is provided, so that itmay be inflated by the pressure in channel It acting upon its innersurface. The operation-of this single valve is as follows: \Vhentheairisexhaustedfromchannel I3, the motor P will cease to act and thepressure in the channel ll will, through the motorP, throw the valve Rover so as to uncover the outer-air opening and shut off the lower partof channel II, the motor I." being sufficiently powerful to overcome theresistance to this movement caused by the pressure of the air upon theface of the valve. The two motor-channels will now operate together andcontinue to do so until the pressure is restored in channel B, when thepressure comes again upon the motor I and, assisted by the pressure inchannel II acting on the face of the valve, shifts the latter againstthe port I I.

It will be noticed that in both the constructions I have passed the stemof the valve through the wall of one of the channels; but in each casethis is done near one end of the stem, so that the wood is not likely tointerfere with the movements of the stem or defleet it from its properline of movement.

The invention is adapted to be used for coupling octaves or pedals andmay be employed in place of any pneumatic couplers now in use. Thecouplers maybe used in any number desired without affecting thequickness of their action. The channels are shown in Fig. 1 as uncoupledand in the other figure as coupled.

I claim- 1. The combination with the motor supplychannels of twodifferent notes or pipes adapted to be sounded together, one of saidchannels having an opening to the outer air in its side through whichits motor maybe exhausted, of a valve controlling said opening, and amotor in communication with the other channel and acting to close saidvalve, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the motor supplychannels of two different notesor pipes adapted to be sounded together, said chan' nels having no aircommunication with each other, and one of them having an opening to theouter air in its side through which its motor may be exhausted, of avalve controlling said opening, and a motor in communication with theother channel and acting to close said valve, substantially asspecified.

3. The combination with the motor supplychannels of two different notesor pipes adapted to be sounded together, one of said channels having anopening to the outer air in its side through which its motor may beexhausted, of valve devices located in said channel and aeting both tocontrol said opening and to shutoff the escape of air from the source ofsupply of said channel when said opening is uncovered, and a motor incommunication with the other supply-channel. and acting to control saidvalve devices, substantially as specified.

4:. The combination with the motor supplychannels of two different notesor pipes adapted to be sounded together, said channels having no aircommunication with each other, and one of them having an opening to theouter air in its side through which its motor may be exhausted, of valvedevices located in said channel and acting both to control said openingand to shut off the escape of air from the source of supply of saidchannel when said opening is uncovered, and a motor in communicationwith the other supply-channel and acting to control said valve devices,substantially as specified.

5. The combination with the motor supplychannel B, and the motorsupply-channel H,

the latter having an opening to the outer air in its side and alsohaving an offset, as shown,-

of valve devices acting to control said opening and also acting to closesaid offset and prevent loss of air from the source of supply,

anda motor controlled by channel B connected to said valve devices andserving to retain them normally in position to close said opening,substantially as specified.

6. The combination with the motor supplychannels of two different notesor pipes adapted to be sounded together, one of said channels having anopening to the outer air in its side through which its motor may beexhausted and also having an offset as shown, of valve devices locatedin said channel and acting both to control said opening and to closesaid offset when the opening is uncovcred, and a motor in communicationwith the other supply-channel and acting to control said valve devices,substantially as specified.

FREDERICK \V. HEDGELAND.

\Vitnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EDW. S. EVARTS.

